Statements in opposition to Bill 212

Written By Jamie Stuckless

As the Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act (Bill 212) makes its way through the legislative process, organizations have been speaking up in opposition.

In this blog post, I track statements that have been released about Bill 212, and share some pull quotes from each one. This is mostly for my own reference, but if it is helpful to see what others have been saying as you prepare your own statements and Environmental Registry submissions, please use these as a reference.

For more context on the bill, my analysis, and an overview of actions you can take to voice your opposition, read my previous blog post: https://www.jamiestuckless.ca/blog/bill212

Statements released:

Bloor-Annex BIA: https://x.com/dmrider/status/1849123389937508607

“Premier Ford has asked for the installation of bike lanes to be evidence-driven. Well, all of the evidence we’re seeing tells a very compelling story - bike lanes are good for business, they improve safety for all road users, and reduce congestion. Bloor Street in the Annex is a thriving main street and the bike lanes are an essential part of what makes that possible.”
— Brian Burchell, general manager of the Bloor Annex BIA
“Requiring provincial approval [of bicycle lanes] would be a significant overreach into municipal jurisdiction. (...) AMO is not aware of any consultation with municipalities regarding bicycle lanes or of the evidence the province considered in its decision.”
— AMO Statement
“The OTC would urge you to reconsider the legislation, which will create bureaucratic barriers, endanger Ontario’s, and ultimately lead to increased congestion.”
— OTC Statement
“The proposed legislative changes will not reduce congestion, will increase risk to public safety, and move away from evidence-based practices. It is also counter to the 2024 Provincial Planning Statement, which includes several policies that support the use of bike lanes.”
— OPPI Statement

120 physicians and researchers from the University of Toronto: https://healthydebate.ca/2024/10/topic/legislation-road-design-safety-travel-times/

“The Ministry of Transportation is responsible for serving the people of Ontario, not its motor vehicles. We must address the root causes of traffic congestion and provide options for solutions, such as improved transit connectivity and reliability, incentives for choosing alternatives to motor vehicle travel, and support for complete streets that offer safe and efficient transportation options for all people.”
— Physicians & researchers statement
“If the bill slows down, stops, or even goes as far as reversing the implementation of cycling infrastructure, this would cause significant harm to people of all ages. races, and genders, and would be most harmful to those who already face transportation barriers.”
— Women in Urbanism Canada statement
“High quality networks of protected bike lanes on main streets are critical to providing safe routes to school and supporting higher rates of physical activity. By design, Ontario communities do not generally have side streets that run parallel to main streets for long distances.”
— Jared Kolb, Green Communities Canada
“A majority of Ontario’s, 65 per cent, expressed their desire to cycle more if there were improved cycling infrastructure.”
— 2023 poll of Ontarians by Share the Road
“The preliminary order of magnitude cost estimate for the work to remove bike lanes on all three of these streets (Bloor St, University Ave, Yonge St) and replace them with motor vehicle lanes is over $48 million. This estimate includes the cost of road reconstruction for sections of the streets that were recently reconstructed and would need to be rebuilt, and road resurfacing that would be required for other sections.”
— City of Toronto staff report

Cover photo provided by Cycle Hamilton.

Jamie Stuckless
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